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The Blue Letter Bible

2 Samuel 23 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

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The Last Words of David

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:1

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:1 - Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man who was raised on high,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:2

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:2 - “The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:3

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:3 - The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:4

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:4 - he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain[fn] that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:5

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:5 - “For does not my house stand so with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:6

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:6 - But worthless men[fn] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
for they cannot be taken with the hand;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:7

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:7 - but the man who touches them
arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
and they are utterly consumed with fire.”[fn]

David’s Mighty Men

(1Ch 11:10–47 )

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:8

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:8 - These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.[fn] He wielded his spear[fn] against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:9

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:9 - And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:10

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:10 - He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:11

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:11 - And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi,[fn] where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:12

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:12 - But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:13

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:13 - And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:14

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:14 - David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:15

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:15 - And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:16

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:16 - Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:17

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:17 - and said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:18

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:18 - Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.[fn] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men[fn] and killed them and won a name beside the three.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:19

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:19 - He was the most renowned of the thirty[fn] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:20

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:20 - And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[fn] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels[fn] of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:21

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:21 - And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:22

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:22 - These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:23

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:23 - He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:24

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:24 - Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:25

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:25 - Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:26

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:26 - Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:27

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:27 - Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:28

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:28 - Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:29

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:29 - Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:30

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:30 - Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:31

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:31 - Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:32

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:32 - Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:33

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:33 - Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:34

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:34 - Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:35

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:35 - Hezro[fn] of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:36

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:36 - Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:37

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:37 - Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:38

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:38 - Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 23:39

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 23:39 - Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
ESV Footnotes
Or the favorite of the songs of Israel
Hebrew from rain
Hebrew worthlessness
Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting
Or of the captains
Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain
Or gathered together as a camp
Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
Or slain ones
Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
Or the son of Ishhai
The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
Or Hezrai
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

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2 Samuel Chapter 23 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras